Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with African cat fish ,
Clarias gariepinus ( body weight , 80 - 150g ) , under
laboratory conditions . Fish were fed practical -type diets
containing different levels of ascorbic acid (0,60,100,
300 and 700 mg/ kg ) . In experiment 1 , small surgical
incisions were made in the dorsolateral musculature . Fish
were sampled every 4hr over 14 days and histopathological
assessment of the wound was carried out . The results
showed that irrespective of vitamin levels , epidermis and
dermis were almost completely healed except in fish fed
deficient of ascorbic acid which exhibit delayed collagen The ascorbic acid concentrations in liver increased
significantly as dietary ascorbic acid concentrations
increased . However, it gradually decreased until the 14 th
day of the experiment.
Fibroblast were present at 96h irrespective o f the
ascorbic acid level . Skin and muscle at the wound site
were almost normal after 6 days in fish f ed 60-7 00 mg of
ascorbic acid/kg of diet .
In experiment 2 , wounded fish were exposed to live
Aeromonas hydrophila by immersion and sampled for
histopathologi cal evaluation for 28 days . Fish fed the
ascorbic acid - free diet have slower wound repair compared
with fish fed diet supplemented with ascorbic acid in the
diet.
deposition.